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Tenacious D Rocks.
The Safety of Illiterates
2004-03-04 - 9:54 a.m.
Funniest thing I've read this week, from The Elements of Style, in the chapter on misused words:
"Flammable": An oddity, chiefly useful in saving lives. The common word meaning "combustible" is inflammable. But some people are thrown off by the in- and think inflammable means "not combustible." For this reason, trucks carrying gasoline or explosives are now marked "Flammable." Unless you are operating such a truck and hence are concerned with the safety of children and illiterates, use inflammable.
Also, last night, I blurted out that I was really enjoying my dictionary (I'd just looked up the definition of "jingoism"), which earned me an odd glance or two from my guests.
You may not believe this, but sometimes I'm quite a geek.
Cheers,
The Magus
